Optimizing Positive Airway Pressure Compliance and Outcomes in Rural Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Through...

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Telehealth enhances positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients.
• Telemedicine improves healthcare access in rural areas.
• Telehealth interventions positively impact health outcomes for rural populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of telemedicine in improving PAP compliance and reducing Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores in rural OSA patients.
• To evaluate the impact of weekly telemedicine visits on PAP therapy adherence over four weeks.
• To compare PAP compliance and ESS scores between rural patients receiving telemedicine and a control group.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement (QI) pilot study involving weekly telemedicine visits for four weeks of PAP therapy.
• Rural patients newly diagnosed with OSA were included in the intervention group.
• Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores and PAP compliance were measured before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• The telemedicine intervention group showed higher PAP compliance rates compared to the control group (63.22% vs. 46.40%).
• ESS scores significantly decreased from pre-therapy (M=8.38) to post-therapy (M=2.83), indicating reduced daytime sleepiness.
• While compliance was higher in the intervention group, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.099).

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine effectively removes barriers to care for rural OSA patients.
• The study demonstrated the potential of telemedicine to improve PAP compliance and health outcomes.
• Telemedicine is a valuable tool for managing OSA in underserved rural populations.